Close call for Nevada highway cop who narrowly escapes getting hit by suspected impaired driver

A Nevada highway patrol officer narrowly avoided getting hit by a vehicle this past weekend after a car driven by a suspected impaired driver crashed into a police cruiser.

Video released by the Nevada Highway Patrol shows trooper Adam Whitmarsh had been handing out a speeding ticket and began heading back to his vehicle when he suddenly leaps onto the car he had been ticketing as his cruiser lurches forward and another vehicle is seen spinning by.

Debris begins to come off the vehicle as it passes by Whitmarsh, narrowly missing him, before coming to a rest nearby.

The incident occurred just before 7 a.m. Saturday.

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Highway patrol said in a Facebook post that the eight-year veteran of the force was struck by debris but did not sustain serious injuries and “should be fine.”

“I was just thinking survival mode,” Whitmarsh told NBC-affiliate 3 News. “I reacted so fast. I mean, it happened so fast.

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“I kind of hurt myself in the process of doing it. I’m here today, so that’s the most important part, I guess.”

According to the officer, his leg and back were injured by the impact and he’s still recovering, but has been dealing with back spasms lately.

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He said he was glad he only received minor injuries. When he was two years old, his father died when he was hit by an impaired driver — something he says later prompted him to get into law enforcement.

Authorities say the driver is facing charges of driving while under the influence, failure to yield, reckless driving and possession of a firearm while intoxicated.